Access to Land & Tenure Security

Land tenure is the relationship, whether legally or customarily defined, among people, as individuals or groups, with respect to land. (For convenience, "land" is used here to include other natural resources such as water and trees.) Land tenure is an institution, i.e., rules invented by societies to regulate behaviour. Rules of tenure define how property rights to land are to be allocated within societies. They define how access is granted to rights to use, control, and transfer land, as well as associated responsibilities and restraints. In simple terms, land tenure systems determine who can use what resources for how long, and under what conditions.

Land tenure is an important part of social, political and economic structures. It is multi-dimensional, bringing into play social, technical, economic, institutional, legal and political aspects that are often ignored but must be taken into account. Land tenure relationships may be well-defined and enforceable in a formal court of law or through customary structures in a community. Alternatively, they may be relatively poorly defined with ambiguities open to exploitation.

Objections to assessed compensation for expropriated land in Tanzania have been on increase irrespective of the changed ideologies of the country. The basis of valuation assessment as provided in the laws governing land acquisition is ‘market value’ while the local valuation practice has had limited use of the basis in compensation and resettlement assignments.

Property taxation has a long history of implementation in Dar es Salaam; yet Local Government Authorities (LGAs) ability to raise revenue through property tax has remained low. This article examines various initiatives by the government to develop a functional property tax system capable of generating sufficient revenue for the LGAs. It observes that while there have been efforts to develop the capacity of LGAs in exploiting the property tax revenue source, the tax base coverage and revenue collection levels are still critical, calling for more attention.

Selection of roads for improvement of transport network with minimum demolition of houses required in roads widening has been a challenge for many years in upgrading informal settlements. The problem is compounded by lack of a methodological tool required to assist decision makers on selecting roads that can be widened and improved for improvement of transport network with minimum demolition of houses and compensation costs.

The concept in this paper builds upon basic principles of sustainability to address the problem of how a sustainable project must contribute to economic and social welfare without depleting natural resources, destroying the environment or harming human health.. With this understanding, a systems approach was used in a study that conceptualised a paradigm shift in project management system for sustainability incorporating Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Cause-effect Chain and the Socio-economic Resource models.

The practice of food security assessment in Tanzania is based on use of food crops production data surveys of a preceding seasonal year with agro-meteorological analyses based on estimated vegetation status as reflected from NDVI computed from NOAA satellite images. Food security assessment essentially is a prediction of food availability in predefined future time framework. It helps to establish availability or deficiency of food, thereby facilitating planning and implementation of strategies to mitigate the problem of hunger.

The aim of this paper is to compute a more accurate orthometric height of Mount Kilimanjaro by utilizing the current most precise geoid model for Tanzania, TZG08, together with the 1999 and 2008 GPS campaigns ellipsoidal heights using GPS levelling method.

The result of the GPS levelling using TZG08 gravimetric geoid model and the Kil_1999 and KILI2008 GPS ellipsoidal heights is that the orthometric height of Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,894.94m. Therefore the orthometric height of Mount Kilimanjaro is practically the same as the 1952 official height of 5,895m.

The history of surveys and mapping in Tanzania has been influenced by two European cultures through its colonization; first by the German and then by the British. During the German Administration, surveys and mapping activities were carried out by the Department of Surveys and Agriculture from 1893 to 1914. When the British took over the mandate for the territory after World War I, the also used the “old” German maps until when they when they started the surveys to produce other topographic maps from 1946. In 1961, the Surveys and Mapping Division was created.

Developing countries are facing a number of challenges in search of development. Various policies and strategies have been formulated and many are already in the process of implementation in different countries. Among the policies are National Land Policies (NLP).

The future is increasingly urban and inevitably so. Urbanisation is increasing at unprecedented rate in both Sub-Saharan Africa and developing world (UN Habitat, 1999). Alongside this rapid expansion comes the emergence of the peri-urban areas that are characterised of increasing intensification and co-existence of urban and rural areas, marked by dynamic flows of commodities, capital, natural resources, people and environmental pollution.

Gaining access to private lands in war-torn societies is a problem that confronts many governments, including Burundi when implementing public projects. Government officials hastily acquired private lands while implementing projects which are not always for public interests. Using the case study approach, the study explored what happened when land was acquired to erect a new Presidential Palace at Gasenyi area.